Advancing compassionate care: The Obesity Bill of Rights

In January, NCL and the National Council on Aging (NCOA) launched a groundbreaking initiative: the nation’s first Obesity Bill of Rights. A year in development, the Obesity Bill of Rights has garnered the endorsement of 56 consumer, aging, and public health organizations, and is a grassroots movement aimed at advancing changes in federal, state, and employer policies surrounding obesity care.

Classified by the American Medical Association (AMA) as a serious disease requiring treatment, obesity today is the most prevalent chronic disease in the U.S., affecting 42 percent of adults – or more than 100 million Americans. Rates are even higher among Black and Brown communities, making obesity one of the most serious health equity issues facing the nation.

Yet, obesity does not receive the same concern, level of attention, and quality care as those with any other serious chronic disease. Simply put, because obesity is still viewed as a problem of lack of willpower, too many health professionals discriminate based on people’s size, and those seeking obesity care often face exclusions in insurance plans. These restrictive practices that delay or deny treatment or are not factored into decisions regarding medicine use.

The consequence is that only about 10 percent of people with obesity get help from medical professionals, meaning the disease remains largely undiagnosed and undertreated. Compounding the impact, untreated obesity worsens the outcomes of more than 230 other chronic diseases. Obesity is responsible for 400,000 preventable deaths each year and costs the nation $1.72 trillion annually in direct and indirect health expenditures – more than what Social Security paid in retirement benefits in 2022.

This is where the Obesity Bill of Rights enters the picture. Developed in consultation with leading specialists, the Bill of Rights establishes eight essential rights with the core requirements enabling adults with obesity to receive the same person-centered, quality care for their obesity as people with other chronic conditions. As such, the Bill of Rights serves as a blueprint for necessary changes in medical practice and government policy, starting with actions that can happen now.

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About the National Consumers League (NCL) 

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.